retreat
By Amanda Kelly
Escape
In a fast paced world it is often a good decision to take some quiet time away from the day-to-day. Whether you need a couple hours to unwind or a weeklong holiday, Escape at Wind Creek offers a beautiful space for anyone to do just that, escape. Located in Atmore, Alabama, Escape is a mere one-hour drive from Pensacola in perhaps the most unlikely of spots. A myriad of wonderful opportunities proves that Escape promotes wellness from a variety of angles: from the luxurious accommodations at Level 15, a hotel in a hotel, including nature inspired rooms with bamboo flooring
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and natural wakeup lighting, to the state-of-the-art fitness facility and ultra-relaxing spa amenities. In addition to extended-stay retreats, Escape offers day escapes and other packages that allow guests to take advantage of the extensive spa and fitness services. While offering a variety of daytime spa escapes and packages, Escape also hosts a variety of retreats for groups and individuals to come and reap the full wellness benefits of the facility. A retreat at Escape is a structured period of time to “learn a better way to live� and offers opportunities for individuals to seek
Photo courtesy of Wind Creek
for a Food Makeover with Jodi Brown
improvement through areas of interest: yoga, natural foods, culinary arts, weight loss and more. Jodi Brown, the Ultimate Kitchen Commando often featured in Pensacola Magazine with her delectable kitchen tips and healthy recipes, will lead a retreat at Escape this September, entitled Your Food Makeover. The retreat, September 2830, is a marvelous opportunity for anyone seeking to incorporate more delicious, easier to prepare, and good
Photos courtesy of Jodi Brown
for you foods. It is an opportunity to jumpstart a personal food makeover. The high-tech Demonstration Kitchen will serve as the backdrop for the retreat weekend. Many people set wellness goals and are never able to achieve them. This is an unfortunate, yet ubiquitous hiccup along the path to achieving better overall health. Brown says, “Conflicting information about what we should and shouldn’t eat leaves a lot of people scratching their heads. I help people get clear on what they should and shouldn’t be consuming.” The allinclusive package includes receiving expert information from Brown on practical methods to maximize one’s nutrient intake. Sometimes all an individual needs to see his or her goal realized is a little empowerment and
some tools to maintain the motivation required to build a new food lifestyle. “Organization is just as important as what we eat. Our lives are so crazy busy, that we make a lot of bad food choices based on lack of time. Learning how to organize your foods so that you have success during the busy work week is key to achieving all of your wellness goals. This is how I separate myself from other educators that are teaching you recipes. My program is comprehensive and includes how to shop, prep and store foods that you are consuming, as well as quick and delicious ways to consume them,” says Brown. Attendees have complete access to the fitness studio and spa wet areas throughout the weekend. Brown will conduct food and nutritional discovery workshops, introduce exciting new foods and ways to prepare them, and teach everyone how to shop, clean, prepare and store produce for maximum life and quick-ease of use. The goal is provide and encourage everyone to build strong, slow and steady habits for long-term success. Brown’s method is all about providing clarity and teaching people ways to empower themselves when it comes to making smarter food decisions, without the headache of diets and their restrictions. “I am not teaching a diet, but a food lifestyle. I don’t count, weigh or portion food. If you eat for nutrient density, the body handles that on its own. But I will tell you, once you start eating nutrient dense foods and start actually feeding your body, you need less food than ever before. When your body gets what it needs, there is a little switch in your brain that tells you it is all good, and more food isn’t necessary,” says Brown. The weekend retreat is a great opportunity to break out of old habits and start on a new path towards better health. Brown says that Escape is a spectacular location to jumpstart the process: from the gorgeous facilities and convenient location to the wonderful staff. Everyone will walk away from the weekend with practical tools to continue utilizing at home, even after the retreat is all said and done. “Just the other day I met with a young man I’ve been coaching over the phone and online. He is pretty much just doing smoothies and juicing now, but making better choices every day. He said to me ‘you know this is easy and I feel so much better, I don’t understand why more people aren’t doing it’,” says Brown. Wind Creek also has a great culinary studio where Jodi hosts company outings or trainings that can include employee participation in the kitchen. Starting a wellness program together in a fun AND relaxing environment can be a powerful teaching tool. Returning to the office with daytime food allies creates an environment of support and can be what makes or breaks a person’s success with changing how they eat. Everyone wins. So take some time to relax at this weekend retreat and start making better choices now. For more information about Escape at Wind Creek or register for the retreat, visit www.escapeatwindcreek.com or call 1-855-393-7227. To learn more about Jodi Brown, visit www.ultimatekitchencommando.com.
July/August 2012
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